Kashmir's handicrafts are an
exquisite expression of the refined skill and
talent of her artisans.The Kashmiri shawl is of
superior quality, soft, warm and charmingly
embroidered. It is made of three types of wool:
Shahtoosh which comes from a rare Tibetan
antelope, and is considered the king of wool, the
Pashmina which comes from the Capra Hircus goat,
and the Raffal which is spun out of marino
wool.The Kashmiri shawls are made using two
techniques: they are either loom woven (kani ) or
needle embroidered ( sozni ).
Kashmiri shawls are
created by skilled craftsmen of Kashmir and are
considered the ones with the best quality. These
shawls are very warm and light. The wool that is
used to create this kind of shawl is hand-woven
and hand-printed because the fabric is too
fragile to be sewn on by a machine. If you have a
big budget, pashmina would be the most appealing
but if you have a limited budget, cashmere
shawls, which are a little less expensive, would
suffice.
Like Kashmiri carpets, shawls made in Kashmir are
adored both in India and internationally. The Shahtoosh and Pashmina
shawls made in Kashmir are world famous.
Shahtoosh shawls are made from the wool of the
Tibetan antelope. These shawls are very light and
soft. These shawls are extremely expensive
because the wool used in making these shawls is
scarce. The soft hair from the throat of the
antelope is used for making these shawls. A few
of these hairs fall off naturally when the
antelopes graze. These hairs are collected and
are then used in weaving shawls.
Shahtoosh shawls
may either be pure or mixed with Pashmina in
order to reduce the cost. Shahtoosh shawls are so
finely woven that the entire shawl can pass
through a ring. It is for this reason that such
shawls are known as 'Ring shawls'. These shawls
are usually not dyed and are used in their
natural color i.e. light brown. Pashmina shawls
are made from the wool of the Kel sheep found in
the Himalayan mountains. Such shawls are
extremely soft and do not hurt the skin of the
wearer. Pashmina scarves and stoles are also
made. Pashmina shawls are less expensive as
compared to Shahtoosh shawls. Pashmina shawls
usually have beautiful and heavy embroidery on
them, while Shahtoosh shawls do not.
"If I could
give a higher rating than 5 (Excellent), then
I would! My merchandise arrived in a timely
manner and in perfect condition. The
stole/shawls are GORGEOUS!!! Absolutely
stunning! Thank you so much for this
awesomely beautiful fabric!"
"Lovely shawls
and fast shipment!"
"Shawls are
BEAUTIFUL. Very fast shipping! Thanks!"
"The product
was excellent, and i am pretty satisfied. I
sure recommend these sellers. :)"
"Very fast shipping, will look great around
her little waist"
"Very Fast
Shipping. Items arrived early and in perfect
condition. I would buy from this seller again
and recommend that anyone buy from this
ShalinIndia, with confidence in their product
quality and delivery time. Thank you for an
excellent shopping experience! "
What a great
find! I collect Indian textiles & am
delighted to discover this seller of
authentic, high-quality Rabari shawls.
Received my order in 2.5 days, with lovely
follow-up customer service. Can't wait to
choose my next purchases!
This shawl is
beyond lovely - everything I wanted and more.
I ordered it to replace one I loved dearly
(given to me by my mother) and lost on a
recent trip. I searched everywhere for one
like it and saw this beautiful shawl on line
- I couldn't be happier with my choice or the
seller.
Buy
with Confidence